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01 October 2012

VMF 6-1: Return and Retrospective

It's that time of year again; yes, Vegan MoFo has returned to once again grace the blogosphere, and with it, I am hoping to revive my little space in the mix by blogging daily for the entire month of October--something that has become an annual tradition for me during the last few years. In previous years, I've managed to meet the daily goal, which is again the plan for 2012. (FYI: You can see my posts from Vegan MoFo 2011, 2010, and 2009--respectively--by clicking through the corresponding links.)

Unlike last year's relatively involved attempt at sticking to a distinct theme, this year's effort will be more broad in content. When I signed up to participate this year, I included my blog under the "comfort food" category, although it may not cover comfort food in the most immediate sense. Simple foods are generally the most comforting for me and comprise much of my cooking style lately, so I don't think it's a stretch to call whatever I'm presenting here for the next month to fall under that category. (How is that for broad?)

This week, I've decided to do take a look back at some of the yet-to-be-presented goodies from September. I'm specifically focusing on carbs--my undeniable weakness--this week, beginning with something to which I've become more accustomed eating on a regular basis again: brown rice.

Brown Rice Risotto
I can't recall the exact recipe inspiration for this dish, but I do remember that the first time I made it, it was as a way to use up some of the mega-loads of zucchini on hand. This particular attempt was the second-time-around, winging-it version that included crimini mushrooms, petite green peas, and chickpeas.

Veggie Stir-Fry
A somewhat healthier version of "typical" fried rice, this homemade variation used only as much vegetable and sesame oil as necessary for the ingredients to not stick to a cast-iron pan (my favorite saute pan these days) and brown rice, rather than white. Tempeh, which had been briefly marinated in shoyu, brown rice vinegar, and a touch of sugar, was included to round out the hearty, one-pan meal.

Mochi
I used this technique--using brown sticky rice instead of the usual, polished, white mochigome--with perfect results. The process is made quite easy with the help of a rice cooker and stand mixer, albeit messy once the rice comes together into a glutinous mass. The waffle (or "moffle" = mochi + waffle, clever, clever) was the result of an attempt to replicate this "pizza" mochi. My version wasn't quite the same as its inspiration, but still edible.